Box Score
SP: Joe Ryan 4.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K (87 pitches, 57 strikes (66%))
Home Runs: Brooks Lee (13), Ryan Jeffers (9)
Bottom 3 WPA: Ryan (-.310), Royce Lewis (-.131), Byron Buxton (-.095)
Win Probability Chart (via FanGraphs) 
Though it didn’t match nationwide household names, Tuesday night’s contest at Target Field featured two aces: Joe Ryan (him, you know) and Jacob Lopez. Healthy deeper into a season than ever before, Ryan has been pitching tremendously. The bad news for the Twins: Lopez has been even better, allowing no runs across his last 24 innings entering this game, and he’s left-handed. You’ve already read the headline; here’s how the bad news unfolded.
Twins Strike First, but the A’s Strike Most
Nick Kurtz led off the game with a double, but Ryan utilized strikeouts to keep him from scoring and to get the Twins’ bats out to face Lopez. Right away, it was clear that the team had an effective plan against the southpaw, despite their diminished roster. They put two runners on in the first, though they failed to score. In the second, an error by Sacramento third baseman Brett Harris opened the door and Matt Wallner stormed through it, with an RBI double that gave the Twins a 1-0 lead.
Quickly, however, the game swerved in the direction of the visitors. A two-out walk of Nick Kurtz brought Ryan into a matchup with catcher Shea Langeliers, who crushed a two-run homer to flip the scoreboard in the top of the third. To lead off the fourth, Tyler Soderstrom hit a ground ball that took Brooks Lee to his right (he’d been shading him toward the second-base bag) and reached when Lee was unable to get off a good throw. Lawrence Butler then hit a screaming grounder through the right side, which Luke Keaschall could only deflect, turning it into a double.
With runners on second and third, Sacramento shortstop Darell Hernaiz hit a chopper to Royce Lewis at third. Lewis made the throw across the diamond, but Kody Clemens couldn’t squeeze it, and Hernaiz reached, loading the bases. Ryan struck out JJ Bleday, but Harris then scooped a shallow flare to right field. Keaschall caught the fly ball for the second out, but his lack of arm strength became apparent as he was unable to throw out the tagging Soderstrom; the A’s now led 3-1. A single by Luis Urías and a double by Kurtz stretched it to 5-1 Athletics, and Ryan’s night became his shortest outing of the year. A good defense gets him out of that inning without a run scoring. An average one holds it to a single tally.
Bombas Attempt to Rally
With one out in the bottom of the fourth, the Twins struck back. Lee went with a Lopez outside fastball to make it a 5-2 ballgame.
With two outs, it was Ryan Jeffers’s turn, and he and his nasal strip pulled one right down the left-field line to tighten the game even more at 5-3.
Pierson Ohl Attempts to Hold
After Ryan’s short start, the Twins handed things off to rookie Pierson Ohl. Ohl managed to make quick work of the A’s in the top of the fifth, but he ran into some more “almost outs” bad luck in the top of the sixth. This time, Hernaiz kept his helmet on, and hit a ball into the right-field gap that glanced off the tip of a diving Byron Buxton’s glove for a double. Hernaiz advanced to third on a solid running catch from Buxton into the left-field gap, and then scampered home on a Harris single through the drawn-in infield to make it 6-3 Athletics. Ohl rebounded to take care of business again in the top of the seventh and eighth innings, to keep the game within striking distance.
Twins Can’t Cash In Against A’s Bullpen
Lopez left after six innings, surrendering three runs on only four hits but in line for his seventh win of the season. Justin Sterner got the call from the bullpen, and he mowed down the Twins in the bottom of the seventh before running into a bit of trouble in the eighth. With two outs, Trevor Larnach and Keaschall hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. The potential tying run, Lewis, watched a first-pitch fastball go right down the middle, before eventually popping up to the infield to end the threat.
After Erasmo Ramirez scattered a double and an intentional walk to keep a scoreless top of the ninth, the Twins took their cuts against lefty closer Hogan Harris. While he isn’t the recently traded Mason Miller, he did just fine against the Minnesota lineup. Lee, Clemens, and Austin Martin all tried, but none succeeded, and the Twins lost yet again.
What’s Next?
The Twins look to redeem themselves on Wednesday evening in a rematch against the A’s. Twins righty Bailey Ober (4-7, 5.15 ERA) will attempt to right the ship. The Athletics will counter with RHP J.T. Ginn (2-5, 5.04 ERA) in an attempt to drive the Twins deeper down the standings. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 pm CDT.
Postgame Interviews
Coming Soon
Bullpen Usage Spreadsheet
FRI
SAT
SUN
MON
TUE
TOT
Hatch
0
0
81
0
0
81
Ureña
76
0
0
0
0
76
Ohl
0
0
0
0
54
54
Ramírez
8
0
16
0
25
49
Tonkin
0
15
16
0
0
31
Kriske
0
29
0
0
0
29
Topa
0
27
0
0
0
27
Sands
0
0
14
0
0
14
Funderburk
0
10
0
0
0
10
Cabrera
0
0
9
0
0
9